20231201 WAKING UP FROM OUR NIGHTMARES
01 December 2023, Friday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Daniel 7:2-14 © |
'I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man'
I, Daniel, have been seeing visions in the night. I saw that the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea; four great beasts emerged from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings; and as I looked its wings were torn off, and it was lifted from the ground and set standing on its feet like a man; and it was given a human heart. The second beast I saw was different, like a bear, raised up on one of its sides, with three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth. “Up!” came the command “Eat quantities of flesh!” After this I looked, and saw another beast, like a leopard, and with four bird’s wings on its flanks; it had four heads, and power was given to it. Next I saw another vision in the visions of the night: I saw a fourth beast, fearful, terrifying, very strong; it had great iron teeth, and it ate, crushed and trampled underfoot what remained. It was different from the previous beasts and had ten horns.
While I was looking at these horns, I saw another horn sprouting among them, a little one; three of the original horns were pulled out by the roots to make way for it; and in this horn I saw eyes like human eyes, and a mouth that was full of boasts. As I watched:
Thrones were set in place
and one of great age took his seat.
His robe was white as snow,
the hair of his head as pure as wool.
His throne was a blaze of flames,
its wheels were a burning fire.
A stream of fire poured out,
issuing from his presence.
A thousand thousand waited on him,
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
A court was held
and the books were opened.
The great things the horn was saying were still ringing in my ears, and as I watched, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and committed to the flames. The other beasts were deprived of their power, but received a lease of life for a season and a time.
I gazed into the visions of the night.
And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,
one like a son of man.
He came to the one of great age
and was led into his presence.
On him was conferred sovereignty,
glory and kingship,
and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.
His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty
which shall never pass away,
nor will his empire ever be destroyed.
Responsorial Psalm | Daniel 3:75-81 © |
Mountains and hills! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Every thing that grows on the earth! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Springs of water! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Seas and rivers! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Sea beasts and everything that lives in water! bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Birds of heaven! all bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Animals wild and tame! all bless the Lord.
Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Gospel Acclamation | Lk21:28 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stand erect, hold your heads high,
because your liberation is near at hand.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 21:29-33 © |
My words will never pass away
Jesus told his disciples a parable: ‘Think of the fig tree and indeed every tree. As soon as you see them bud, you know that summer is now near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that the kingdom of God is near. I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’
WAKING UP FROM OUR NIGHTMARES
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Dn 7:2-14; Daniel 3:75-81; Lk 21:29-33]
The vision of Daniel in the first reading seems more like a nightmare than a vision, seeing the different animals that are half animal, half bird, with horns and yet like a human being, attacking the world in its ferocity and cruelty. Indeed, it must have been as Daniel described when he saw the fourth beast, “fearful, terrifying, very strong; it had great iron teeth, and it ate, crushed and trampled underfoot what remained. It was different from the previous beasts and had ten horns.” His visions were more than just nightmares but prophecies of world history, the rise and fall of empires and the destruction of Jerusalem, humanity and even the entire creation.
We, too, are living with many nightmares in our daily life. There is so much division and disorder in the world today. Peace and progress in the world is so fragile. Countries are at odds with each other, each accusing the other of the lack of fair-play, distrust and hostile competition in trade, technology and arms. The world is divided on international issues, be it migration, globalization, free trade, ecology or climate warming. Among our peoples, we cannot agree on fundamental issues like marriage, family, abortion, euthanasia, transgender, free speech and art. So there are battles to be fought on all fronts. The most frightening thing is that because of individualism and relativism, no one can come to any form of agreement.
So we are all very tired, confused, disillusioned and disheartened at the state of the world. We feel like giving up because instead of the world becoming more peaceful, stable and technologically advanced, the development of the human person in terms of its moral, spiritual and affective life is degenerating. Rather than becoming more humane and more global-minded, seeing ourselves as one big human family, all we care about is our aspirations, our desires, our happiness and our comfort and security. Others do not factor in our aspiration to happiness but as tools that we can use and discard when we do not need them. In a world that is so selfish and self-centered, humanity is on the verge of destroying not just itself but the entire creation.
Indeed, this is because we do not see the signs. We are not attentive to what is happening in the world today and in ourselves. We are not seeing far because we are too engrossed on the here and now without giving a thought to the long term implications and repercussions of our decisions, policies and the values we are promoting in society. This is what the Lord has been warning us. The signs have been given. Jesus said, “Think of the fig tree and indeed every tree. As soon as you see them bud, you know that summer is now near.” We are all good at reading the weather, the political developments of the country, the economic trends and financial investments, but we are not alert to the changing moral trends, the culture and spiritual life of our people.
Alas, it is also equally true for those of us who feel discouraged at the sad and bewildering state of the world. If we have lost hope and confidence in doing what we can to restore the world from sin to grace, then we also have overlooked the signs of the time. When the Lord spoke of the fig tree budding, we are reminded of the coming of the Messiah. The Jews believed that the Messiah would come after the Passover. This is in spring. Jesus for us is the budding of the Kingdom of God. But many of us are still not able to have confidence in Christ’s power over the sinful world on account of His passion, death and resurrection. The Lord said to the scribes and Pharisees who asked him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.’ But he answered them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. (Mt 12:38f)
In the first reading, in spite of the incalculable devastation that would be brought upon humanity and creation, Daniel’s vision assures us that God is in control. He saw God on His throne making judgments on the world. We read that “the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and committed to the flames. The other beasts were deprived of their power, but received a lease of life for a season and a time.” And finally, Jesus, the Son of God who is also the Son of Man, assuming sovereignty over all of creation, “coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man. He came to the one of great age and was led into his presence. On him was conferred sovereignty, glory and kingship… which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed.”
In other words, the scripture readings want to assure us that God is in absolute control over creation. He will ultimately bring all His enemies under His footstool. It will be Jesus, the Son of Man who will hand over “the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For ‘God has put all things in subjection under his feet.’ But when it says, ‘All things are put in subjection’, it is plain that this does not include the one who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.” (1 Cor 15:24-28)
In the meantime, we must continue to fight the battle against the Evil One and the spread of Satan’s Kingdom. We must fight against moral relativism, a self-centered form of individualism seen in marriage, the culture of death, consumerism; absolute free speech at the expense of innocent people and distortion of truth; exclusivity and protectionism, and the failure to see that we are all brothers and sisters who have a share in the resources of this planet and that wealth does not belong only to some people or to a special group of people. The Church seeks to build the kingdom of God based on the gospel of love, mercy and compassion; that we are all children of God, called to share in His life and love, now and hereafter. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, the One who teaches us how to live our life in such a way that it is reflective of God’s Spirit living in us.
That is why, amidst the changing world, trends, values, cultures, all that relativism and pragmatism embrace, the Church offers us a gospel that is eternal and everlasting. In the gospel, Jesus in no uncertain terms said, “I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” So we must tell the world that the truth remains the truth. All can change and pass away but the Word of God, the truth that Christ has revealed to us is eternal. There is no relativism in the message of our Lord. St Peter says, “You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. For ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever.'” (1 Pt 1:23-25) That is why when we are faced with so many opinions and positions on what is right or wrong, we do not refer to the world for a final opinion. We must turn to the gospel because “all scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16)
Most of all, we know that our life is not simply on this earth. This world is passing. St John exhorts us, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world – the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches – comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.” (1 Jn 2:15-17) Indeed, let us not forget that “our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil 3:20)
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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